Golf club, town settle lawsuit

STRATHAM — Former Gov. Craig Benson's investment firm has reached a deal with the towns of Greenland and Stratham to set aside 240 acres of land for conservation at the Golf Club of New England.

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By Jason Schreiber

seacoastonline.com

By Jason Schreiber

Posted Sep. 21, 2007 at 2:00 AM

By Jason Schreiber
Posted Sep. 21, 2007 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

STRATHAM — Former Gov. Craig Benson's investment firm has reached a deal with the towns of Greenland and Stratham to set aside 240 acres of land for conservation at the Golf Club of New England.

The agreement ends years of legal wrangling over whether the club, now owned by Benson's SoftDraw Investments, had to protect land from development when it was approved by Greenland and Stratham several years ago.

The two towns have long argued that the club's original owner, Asset Title Holding Inc., had promised to preserve 260 acres under a conservation easement to the towns.

Benson's company, SoftDraw Investments, purchased the golf club in September 2004 after it went bankrupt. The towns claimed SoftDraw refused to honor the agreement made with Asset Title Holding Inc.

But SoftDraw insisted there was no such agreement to provide conservation land and that it wasn't required to do so as part of the original approval process.

In addition to the conservation land outlined in the settlement, SoftDraw agreed to give Greenland and Stratham each $50,000 to cover some of the legal expenses they incurred while fighting with the club, Stratham Town Administrator Paul Deschaine said.

The club owner's attorney, Bryan Gould, described the agreement as "explicitly a compromise." Agreeing to put the land in conservation and paying the towns' legal bills doesn't mean the club is admitting it was wrong, Gould said.

"We think it's a constructive outcome for everyone," Gould said.

Most of the conservation land will be in Greenland as only one hole and a fraction of a hole, along with the club house, is located in Stratham, according to Greenland Town Administrator Karen Anderson.

Much of the conservation land will protect the edges of the Winnicutt River and wetlands that run through the center of the golf course.

"The town is satisfied and we're pleased that it was resolved," Anderson said.